And harry semple



(No Model.)

M. ALTMEYER. FEED MECHANISM FOR NAIL MACHINES. No. 470,149. PatentedMar. 1, 1892.

Q 2: Ill/m UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MATTHEWV ALTMEYER, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF THREE- FIFTHS TOJ. F. IIEIL, O. T. SCHREIBER, F. FREISMUTH, GEO. l-IEIR, K. J. HOGE, WV.J. WV. COIVDEN, WM. F. STIFEL, A. REYMANN, PETER OASSELL, AND N. B.SCOTT, OF IVHEELING, IVEST VIRGINIA, AND HARRY SEMPLE,

OF STEUBENVILLE, OHIO.

FEE D MECHANISM FOR NAIL-MACHINES.

. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 470,1d9, dated March1, 1892.

Application filed April 17, 1891. Serial No. 389,349. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, MATTHEW ALTMEYER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed MechanismforNail- Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of said invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it most nearly appertains to make,use, and practice the same.

My invention has relation to certain new and useful improvements in thefeed mechanism for nail-making machinery, as will be hereinafter morefully set forth in the drawings, described and pointed out in thespecification.

IIeretofore in the making of nails the nailplate has always been fed tothe machine by boys employed for this purpose, who catch the plate bymeans of a suitable catch-rod and place the same within the oscillatingfeedchute, so as to force the end under the cutting-tool. However, ithas been found impossible to consume or clip the entire plate, inasmuchas a certain portion thereof, known to the trade as the plate-butt, isheld by the catch-rod. Consequently the plate can only be out as far asthe end of said rod, thus necessitating the waste of the entire butt,and inasmuch as the same contains suflicient material or metal to formthree or four nails from it is obvious that in the course of a days workconsiderable loss takes place, and in case many machines are employedthe combined loss amounts to thousands of' pounds. Further, theoscillating of the plate and feedchute tends to form a ragged cut to thenail, instead of a smooth clean cut. Again, the rapid making of thenails depends largely upon the prompt and careful feeding of the platesinto the feed-chute by the boys stationed for this purpose, inasmuch asthe dropping of theplateorinaccurate feeding creates delay in the makingof the nail, and by reason of the oscillating motion imparted to thechute the plate has a tendency to clog or catch and make imperfectnails. These are of the employment of plate-feed boys, thereby formingan automatic feeder whereby the plates are thrown forward sufficientlyfar to allow for the requisite nail-cut, and at the same time a cleanand perfect cut and at the same time consume the entire plate, therebypreventing loss of nail-plate butts and obviating the expense attendantupon the handling thereof and loss of nails resulting from such waste.

My invention further consists in providing a simpler, more effectual,less expensive, and more durable feeder than any heretofore known to me,and one which shall allow of the more rapid feeding of the nail-platesto the cutting-tool.

For a more comprehensive understanding of myinvention reference must behad to the accompanying drawings, wherein similar letters of referencedenote corresponding parts throughout the entire specification.

Figure 1 is a side viewpartly broken away showing my feeder applied tothe front of an ordinary nail-machine; Fig. 2, atop plan with feed-boxand plate-rolls removed; Fig. 3, a front vertical sectional view takenon line 00 m, Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a detail cross-sectional view taken online 2 z, Fig. 2; and Fig. 5, detail of cam for attachment to thenail-machine and adapted to operate the feed mechanism.

The letter A is used to indicate the ordinary cutting-head ofnail-machines, which is provided with the cutting-tool B. Thecutting-head is secured to the machine and operated in the usual manner,and consequently need not be specifically set forth in thisspecification.

To the frame of the machine is swiveled or otherwise secured the arm 0,to which is connected the feed-support I). grooved, so as to receive thebed-plate D, which is provided with the upwardly-extending flanged sidesD To the bed-plate is bolted the roll-carrying plate E, which hasjournaled therein the nail-plate rolls 6, and to said plate is boltedthe feed-box E, within which are placed the nail-plates 6, one upon theother, the lower one resting upon the rolls 6, as clearly shown in Figs.1 and 3. Within the space existing between the roll and bed plate issecured the movable guide-plate E which is provided with the upwardlyextending lug or stop-pin (I, which works through the opening (Z, formedin the operating-plate F. Said plate moves forward and backward withinguide-plate E and as the end walls of opening (1' contact with lug orstop (I the guide-plate is carried forward or backward. Upon theguide-plate are secured the cams F by means of bolts f, and thereto areconnected the gripperjaws F which are adapted to open or close with theopening or closing of cams F, so as to grip or release the nail-plate e,as hereinafter set forth. To the front of the feed is secured theplate-guide Il, within which the nail-plate is held, after beingreleased from the grippers, by means of the springs 71, bolted thereto.In order to hold the plate firmly within the guide, 1 bolt or otherwisesecure to the side wall thereof the guard 7;, preferably composed of anL-shaped plate. The inner end of the operating-plate is formed wedgeshape, so that when moved forward it will serve to force open the camsF, thereby closing the grip-jaws upon the nail-plates.

The anvil-bed is indicated by the letter K, and secured thereon is thestill die K.

The cutting-tool is made adjustable through the medium of bolts 70.

\Vithin the feed box I place a number of nail-plates, as shown, the endsof which rest against the incline end of the box. The end of the loweror bottom plate bears against the gripping-jaws, so as to be in positionto be grasped thereby or fall therebetween innuediately upon the openingthereof.

Motion is derived, when imparted to the feed mechanism, through themedium of the connecting-rod H,which derives motion,when it is operated,from cam H secured upon the operating-shaft of the nail-machine in theor dinary manner. The location and position of the driving-shaft isimmaterial, inasmuch as the connecting-rod may be shaped so as toconform thereto that is to say, if it is located below the cutting-headof the machine the connecting-rod may be curved downwardly, so as tobring the operating-cam thereon. The outer end of the connecting-rodworks in the elongated slot z'of the guide I, secured to the roll-plateof the feed-box. Thelower portion of said guide arm or plate is somewhatenlarged and is provided with the elongated slot 1', within which thebolt or lugj operates and works. Said lug projects or extends from theoperating-handle J, pivoted to the roll- Said support is.

plate or bed of the feed-box, and is provided with adownwardly-extending arm j, which has an elongated opening or slotformed therein, through which projects or works the set-nut j By raisingor lowering the outer end of the connecting-shaft within the elongatedslot or guide-arm I am enabled to regulate the throw of the feedmechanism, so as to impart an increased or decreased cut to thenail-plate. \Vhen lowered to its full extent, a quick movement of thefeed is imparted to the machine while when the connectingrod is thrownupward said movement or motion is decreased. Should it be desired at anytime during the working of the feed m echanism or nail-machine to createa cessation of the feed'plates moving toward the cuttinghead for thepurpose of repairing machine or otherwise, the same is obtained byunscrewing or loosening screw-nut and allowing the arm J to drop withinthe elongated opening or slot formed in the guide-arm, thereby throwingout of operation the connecting-rod, but still allowing for perfectworking of the machine, with the exception that the feed or travel ofthe nail-plates is stopped.

The operation of my machine is as follows: Vith the rotation of thedrive-shaft of the ordin ary nail-machine the connecting-rod imparts aforward-and-back stroke to the guidearm, within which the outer end ofthe connecting-rod works, which arm being connected through the mediumof the pin j to the operating plate or wedge F the latter is movedforward until contact is made with the lug d, projecting from theguide-plate E and when such contact is made said guide-platc is movedforward in a manner similar to the operating rod or plate, carryingtherewith the cams and nail-platesecu red therebetween. .It will thus beobserved that with the first movement of the feed mechanism the plate iscarried or moved forward a sufficient distance to allow for theregulated cut of the nail, and with the second movement-01, that is,when the the operating-plate contacts with the pin or lug cZ-the entirefeed mechanism is moved forward, so as to throw the nail-plate beneaththe cutting-tool of the cutting-head. The foregoing operation ormovement of the feed mechanism takes place on the upstroke or throw ofthe cutting-head, while with its down movement, or after it has made thecut of the nail-plate, the operating plate or wedge is thrown backward,carrying therewith the guideplate, and at the same time, by moving fromwithin the frames F, the grip-guides are released from their hold uponthe nailplate and carried backward, so as to make a regrasp thereon forthe purpose with the next upstroke of the cutting-head of carrying thenail-plate forward sufliciently far to give a perfect cut thereof, andas the operating plate or rod moves from between the operatingcams,which, closing by gravity, opens the grip-jaws, so as to release thenail-plate, which is then held by the guide II until the rear .betweenand carried forward in a like manner.

The plates as moved within the feed-box slide upon the rolls 6.

In order to keep the machine fed, itis only necessary that the feed-boxbe continually supplied with plates. Any number may be placed in thebox. Consequently one boy is.

enabled to feed about ten or twelve machines. As the first plate leavesthe jaws entirely it is held by means of the springs contained in theguide, and the forward end of the, next plate abuts against the rear endthereof and serves with its movement to force the first plate forward.It will thus be seen that no material is wasted in the cutting and thatthe feed is perfectly automatic. It will also be noticed that I obtaintwo positive movements, first the movement of the operatingplate inorder to open the cams and close the grip-jaws upon the plate, and,secondly, the forward movement of the guide-plate.

I am aware that minor changes may be made in the arrangement of partsand details of construction herein shown and described withoutnecessitating or creating a departure from the nature and scope of myinvention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure protection in by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a nail-machine feeder, the combination of a frame,laterally-working grippers to engage the nail-plate, cam-arms pivoted toextended ends of said grippers, and a longitudinally moving operatingwedge plate adapted to act upon the cam-surfaces and operate thegrippers, substantially as setforth.

2. I11 a nail-machine feeder, the combination of a frame, an L-shapednail-plate, guide secured thereto, and a supplemental plate or guardsecured to the side of the nail-plate guide, with a space between thebottom of the latter and the lower edge of the supplemental plate orguard, formingapassage for the nailplate, substantially as set forth.

3. In a nail-machine feeder, the combination, with the operating-plate,of the guide plate, lug, or pin secured thereto, cams adapted to beoperated by the movement of the operating-plate, nail-plate grippersopened or closed by the movement of the cams, and

I mechanism for imparting motion to the operating plate andguide, as andfor the purpose set forth.

4. In a nail-machine feeder, the combination of a frame, an L-shapednail-plate guide secured thereto, provided with a passage for thenail-plates, and springs secured to the nail-plate guide, their freeends being adapted to bear laterally against the nail-plates,substantially as set forth.

5. In an automatic nail-feeder for nail-machines, the combination of-anoperating-plate, grippers operated by the movement of said plate, aguide-arm pivoted to the frame of the machine and provided withelongated slots at opposite extremities, a pin passing through the slotat the lower extremity and engaging the operating-plate, and an actuatedconnecting-rod having one end adjustably secured within the upper slotof the guide-arm, substantially as set forth.

6. In an automatic nail-feeder, the combination of an operating-plate,grippers operated by the movement of said plate, a guidearm pivoted tothe frame of the machine, provided with an elongated slot at its upperend and having its lower end enlarged, and provided also with anelongated slot, an operating-handle provided with an inwardlyextendingpin passing through the slot of the guide-arm and engaging theoperatingplate, and also provided with a depending slotted extension, aset-nut working through said extension, and an actuated connectingrodhaving one en d adjustably secured within the upper slot of theguide-arm, substantially as set forth.

7. In an automatic nail-feeder, the combination of a groovedfeed-support provided with laterally-extending flanges, a roll-carryingplate secured to the flanges of the bedplate, a feed-box secured to theroll-carrying plate, a grooved guide-plate within the bedplate, providedwith an upwardly-extending lug, an operating-plate within theguide-plate, provided with an opening for the reception of the lug ofthe guide-plate, gripper-jaws operated'by the movement of theoperatingplate, and mechanism for imparting motion to theoperating-plate, substantially as set forth.

8. In a nail-machine feeder, the combination, with the operating-plate,of guide-plate operated thereby, operating-cams secured thereto,grip-jaws operated by the movement of the cams, and mechanism forimparting motion to the operating-plate, so as to open and close thegrip-jaws and feed the nail-plate to the cutter, as and forthe purposeset forth. In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

MATTHEW ALTMEYER. Witnesses:

LEE D. CRAIG, THos. B. TAYLOR.

